Awesome little ice cream shop! Has a large selection (vegetarian options too!) for a very reasonable price. The decoration was quite cute.

This is probably the best and most unique ice cream in Durham. They have home made ice cream flavors that are always refreshing. They make Sundays, smoothies, and sell other things like brownies and baked treats. Feels pricey for the volume, but I guess that's what you get for the quality. Sundays are the most packed. Parking is really tough to come by at times, especially during those warm summer Sunday nights or on days where there's also a dpac show or football/basketball game. Recent yeas expanded so there's more seating room. This is our go to desert option after eating at some of the local restaurants in the area. read more

I wish I could give this place a 3.5, because it doesn't quite fit a 4-star rating. They provide very unique flavors that are always different with each new visit, but sometimes I just want something normal, like strawberry, ya know? I'm sure that sounds picky, but this is my review after all. Some of their unique flavors include Vietnamese Coffee, Blueberry Buttercream, and Corn. Corn is a bit odd, and I would definitely prefer them switching that out with a regular flavor such as vanilla, strawberry, etc. It's pretty "hipster", to say the least, and their prices are a bit up there for a single scoop of ice cream (over $3.00 for one scoop). I don't mind the place and will most likely return since it's conveniently close to all my favorite food joints in the city, but I can't lie and say it's my go to place for ice cream. Almost $10 for two people who each got a single scoop in a cone is a bit ridiculous in my opinion, but as I said before it's not the worst but not certainly the best. 3 stars in my book. read more

The Parlour - Girl Scout Mint-single scoop - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Allow me to preface this review with the fact that we were given a punch card for The Parlour upon our first visit (10 punches and you get one ice cream free). My parents, brother, and I managed to fill up eight of those punches in one day. THAT is how good this ice cream is. Seriously. We went twice on the same day and both times I got the salted butter caramel, about which I've had several dreams in the three months since I was last in Durham. This ice cream is the best I've ever had, and it was perfectly soft and creamy. I would attend Duke solely for the reason that The Parlour is nearby: Let that speak for itself. read more

The parlour is an ice cream hot spot that you have to try this summer. It was recently rated one of the 33 best ice cream shops in the U.S. and last summer was rated as one of the 10 best new ice cream shops to visit. They just recently renovated and the shop looks great! It is very spacious with tons of seating. However, when the line does get long, it can wrap around the door and be a long wait. The flavors are so unique here that you can't go wrong with anything you order. Some personal favorites of mine are the Vietnamese coffee, the Rosemary olive oil, and the banana chip. If the strawberry sundae is on the menu when you go, definitely order it while strawberries are in season. The ice cream tastes so fresh, is so light while creamy at the same time, and you'll be sad when your bowl is finished. I ultimately gave the parlour a 4 (even though the ice cream itself is a 5). The servers are slow even when the line is really long. Also, one scoop really means one scoop here. The portions are tiny for how much they make you pay. Overall, it's worth trying this summer (just can't afford to go every summer night unfortunately)! read more

The Vegan options I've had are amazing! Chocolate, Mexican Chocolate and Strawberry. The waffle cone was vegan also...and delicious!

This ice cream parlour is truly impressive. I was on vacation in Durham last week and my boyfriend and I decided to check it out. We ended up going back 3 times! Possibly excessive, I know, but what the heck we were on vacay and the ice cream is seriously good. I was able to sample their ice cream floats: the Cherry Bomb with it's scoops of chocolate ice cream with cherry soda was the standout. The salted caramel ice cream was creamy, sweet, salty deliciousness. A fairly intense flavor experience, but it paired well with the Drunken Sailor sundae that my boyfriend got. The other heavenly flavors I tried while there were the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip: amazing and the Goat Cheese with Olive Oil Roasted Cherries. That flavor truly impressed me...it tasted exactly like you would hope Goat Cheese ice cream to taste like...light, creamy, not too offensively strong with the dreamy flavor of cherry mixed throughout. Many of the flavors at the Parlour change regularly with the ice cream mix masters using local ingredients. They even have vegan ice cream which I thought was pretty cool. All the staff were super friendly each time and the place itself is bright and cheerful with lots of seating and it's super clean. I would go back to the Parlour in a second and I hope to have many visits in the future! read more

Tried this location when I was in Durham for a conference. Instantly hooked and came back within a day. Their ram raisin was my favorite! The staff was really nice and friendly. A perfect place to chill in summer. read more

Outstanding! I had the pleasure of having a salted caramel milkshake from their ice cream truck last year and have been looking forward to visiting their new location. It was excellent and well worth the wait. The salted caramel was still the best, but we also sampled a delectable malted cinnamon and an excellent strawberry ice cream. Don't be intimidated if the line stretches out the door. Employees were efficient and pleasant despite the mad rush that we encountered. It only took five minutes for us to be served. There's a great little park with ample seating right outside their front door near the bronze bull statue. Check out this place! You won't be disappointed! read more

Favorite place for ice cream in Durham.. and maybe the whole US... all the flavors I've tried have been amazing. Try the brownie bites!

Good ice cream, great atmosphere, fast & friendly service. I would recommend trying them out.

Great ice cream, friendly service, convenient location. I love stopping in for an ice cream when out for a walk in downtown Durham. They have a great selection of flavors and everything I've tried has been delicious. I would go even more often if their hours were extended - I'd happily eat ice cream at 10 am! read more

I'll be frank, I love ice cream so it's hard for me not to love an ice cream shop, but their ice cream is truly delicious. The place itself is rather spacious for an ice cream shop, there's plenty of seating indoors but I've always taken mine to go. They offer such unique flavors that constantly change with the season. You can sample whatever you want, but everything is so good! Right now they have Rosewater which I really loved. Their Salted Caramel is amazing.The Vietnamese Coffee tastes exactly like Vietnamese Coffee but I think their other flavors are more exciting. read more

Best ice cream in the world! I don't eat dairy anymore so I always go for the vegan offerings and have never been disappointed. My son loves all the flavors he's tried of the regular ice cream, too. My favorite​ is the vegan chocolate which in my opinion is better than the regular chocolate, so rich and creamy. I love that there are always new and interesting flavors to try. Recently the vegan blood orange along with a scoop of chocolate is my fav. read more

So good we came back a 2nd time the next day. Kids loved the oversized scoops and I loved the friendly atmosphere & post-sweet water bar. Close walking distance to other eateries and hotels. Parking is difficult early in the day, but easier in the evening. No line either time we came, but we passed by during the late night and there was a long line out the door. read more

Best sundae I have had in quite some time. And I love ice cream. I opted for the brownie sundae with vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Don't wimp out and get the small (2 scoops) like I did. Get the large (3 scoops)! Line moves fast and plenty of seating. read more

That was some delicious ice cream!!! I had a scoop of salted butter Carmel and stracciatella. Both were creamy and packed with great flavor.

This has to be the best ice cream I have tasted in a very long time. The flavors are unique and HOMEMADE!! They offer so many flavors that make you just want to sample them all!!! And I pretty much did and the host were friendly and patient with my indecisive palate. A few flavors choices are Pineapple Upside down cake, apple pie, moroccan rose and some vegan flavors as well..The cost is definitely reasonable and I will most definitely recommend to anyone that is tired of that average soft serve ice cream or regular regular flavors in the freezer section . If you are in the mood for something sweet - from ice cream to brownies to a milkshake that will awaken your taste buds - THE PARLOUR is where it is at!! read more

Agree with a prior recent review. And still waiting for something unique and spectacular. So many restaurants, etc in Durham are breaking the mold with innovation and food creativity. I thought by now there'd be some really unique flavors but no. Went again recently and still your basic chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and berry flavors. I guess I'm snobbish and expecting too much. Crazy funky combos taking off all over the country prolly won't make their way here. And for the price- a basic ice cream is just not worth it to me. read more

I really thought all the love for The Parlour was Durham hype. Several reviews made me think it was going to be too expensive for the amount I'd get, which is something that makes me sad about ice cream. But now I totally get it. We were actually on a foiled search for gelato after a dinner date downtown. We decided that we'd risk potentially long lines (every time we go by, there is a line out the door) and possibly exorbitant pricing as an end-of-summer treat. It was apparently the perfect night to go, as there was no line whatsoever around 8:30pm on a Wednesday. My husband and I both asked to try one flavor each and they were very obliging (and gave enough on the tasting spoon that we could each taste the other's flavors). We both ordered a beginner (one cone, one cup) which said up to two flavors. We figured since we each wanted two flavors that we'd get half-scoops of each - not so at all! I had one scoop of blueberry and one of honey lavender, which was the best ice cream I've tasted in Durham, by far - lots of the clover taste of honey and a nice hint of lavender. My husband had a scoop of salted butter caramel and burnt sugar stracciatella. All four flavors were incredible. There were, I'd guess, about 10 flavors available tonight (vanilla, chocolate, mango chili, Vietnamese coffee, cookies and cream that I remember) and 3 additional vegan flavors. I imagine flavors change across seasons but it seems a good range is available to suit lots of tastes. The Beginner size we got was $3.70 for two decently sized scoops (waffle cone extra). There's also a Junior size and other larger sizes, plus sundaes and shakes - all pretty reasonably priced. Now that I know it's both an affordable and really generously-sized treat, I will for sure be back! read more

The Parlour - The cone is Honey Lavender and Blueberry, the cup has Salted Butter Caramel and Stracciatella. Super generous Beginner size! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The Parlour is a complete ice-creamy dreamy delight! The atmosphere is wonderful and you can get your cream and sit outside in the plaza if you wish. I've had several flavors, but without fail, my absolute fave is the salted butter caramel with praline pecans on top. holy hell. read more

The ice cream seems to be made with shortcuts. I had the butter pecan and it tasted like corn syrup was a star ingredient. The ice cream heavy and doesn't have a clean taste. Is also has a mushy consistency instead of a firm one. I'm not sure what the hype is about this place. I've been here several times and this time is the last straw for me as with the just okay ice cream the service is pretty bad too so nothing to balance out the terrible ice cream. read more

Found a blonde, could be grey, hair in my ice cream on my first visit. Was so grossed out, brought it up to the counter to let them know, refused to get a new one and left the store. An employee ran to us when we were leaving and offered a fully stamped card to get a free ice cream on my next visit but I just can't eat here. read more

Best believe the hype and then some! Treated myself and my kids to ice cream this weekend and I must say everything I hear about this place is all true. I had the salted butter caramel which is a delicious blend of cool, sweet, salty with a kick! Other flavors sampled were malted cinnamon and vanilla. Do yourself a favor and try this place! read more

Not the best homemade ice cream I've ever had, but it was pretty solid. I got the cookies and cream with brownies in a waffle cone which they put in a cup for me so it wouldn't drop! My cousins got the coffee, chocolate chip, and vanilla flavors which they liked as well! Would definitely recommend if you're in downtown Durham. However, I've heard Porter Farms in Raleigh has a lot more flavors and has better ingredients! The line at this place was out the door but it moved pretty fast. read more

Love love the ice cream here. The honey lavender and the rosewater were out faves. The cones were super tasty too!

Great icecream. They have a variety of flavors. I got butter pecan with salted caramel

I've been wanting to try Parlour since I first heard about them not long after they opened as I am a huge fan of ice cream. We went in the middle of the afternoon on a Friday so there were only a couple other people there but I have seen it packed at night so if you go right after dinner you may have a wait ahead of you. Unfortunately, I wasn't blown away by their ice cream. I'm not quite sure what it was. I tried a couple different flavors and didn't find one I was totally in love with. I was definitely disappointed by the salted butter caramel. Unlike other reviewers that loved it, I felt it just lacked flavor and didn't taste very much like caramel or salt. The mango sorbet was definitely made straight from real mangos and tasted great but I decided tasted too healthy for my first trip. Would be a good one to have a pint of at home though. The goat cheese and coriander was unexpectedly delicious but I decided I didn't want a whole scoop of it. So I ended up going with chocolate, which isn't my favorite but nothing else really stood out. I will say the ice cream was very good and if you like chocolate, you will certainly love this ice cream. I just wasn't satisfied by the flavors available and the ones that I tasted didn't really blow me away. read more

The Parlour - Chocolate ice cream with Thin Mints - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Amazing would be an understatement! The flavors I've had here.... One time I got a cone that tasted JUST like the halva (Indian treat) my mom used to make when I was just a kid. That would be enough for me to love this place, but I only had it once, and all the other flavors I've gotten have been just as good, if not better! And it's perfectly located if you're seeing a show at DPAC or Carolina theatre! read more

Average ice cream but it's the only shop in Durham. Nice little vibe but only three stars as they were understaffed/inefficient and it's a bit on the pricey side. read more

We loved the creamy flavors. A lot of unique ice creams. Maybe could have a few more traditional choices for the kids. But thought prices were fair for quality and how much you got. Seating for about 20 and open til 11:00 on Sat. Would definitely recommend and come back! read more

So everything about this place screamed "Generic ice cream shop" but maybe that's the point. The location is great (when they aren't doing construction) but I was extremely happy that they had rose water ice cream! Which I could only ever find in California ! Still different from Malones in California but still exciting to see in NC! They also have vegan options too which was nice to see. All and all pretty great! read more

This place did not live up to the hype. The ice cream either wasn't fully solidified or was grainy. The flavors were fine, but nothing special. I got a sundae with potato chips on it and they were stale. I think all the great reviews of this place are mostly due to the fact that the Triangle is severely lacking in tasty frozen treat options. I wish I'd liked it more :( read more

My first time I went for the small cup of Salted Caramel and my son had a small chocolate. It was absolutely the best ice cream that I have ever tasted. The ratio of butter cream to milky texture was perfect. Both salty and sweet at the same time but well balanced. My cup had a caramel flavor but not too sweet. There was no calorie count on the small cup, however I'm sure it busted my diet but well worth the cheat! read more

Now that I've left Durham and moved to SF, I'm still reminiscing about the Parlour as it is simply awesome and easily rivals some of my favorite ice cream places in San Francisco. I mean, the ice cream texture, creaminess, and hipster flavor selections are on par with some of the best in San Francisco for a similar or cheaper price, so you lucky Dukies and North Carolinians, seize the day and get yourself to the Parlour! Some of the flavors I love there, like Vietnamese Coffee, Earl Grey Tea, and Vegan Chocolate, are so uniquely crafted in house that I haven't tasted anything similar anywhere else I've gone. Back when I was at Duke, one bite of Parlour ice cream could relieve days of stress from finals and papers and a trip to downtown Durham would be incomplete without some Parlour ice cream. read more

This is my second review ..Visited Parlour yesterday..they have some amazing flavors.. we loved the lemon buttermilk topped with cherries. Also bought two pints of ice cream to go., one of the staff, Sarah was super sweet and helpful and even went the extra mile to find us an ice pack so that our ice cream does not melt as we were driving back to Raleigh in a bit. Thank you Sarah. We plan to visit Parlour every time when we are in Durham. read more

Great creative flavors. We had a cone of Vietnamese coffee flavor and grey salt stacciatelle (sp.?) and a small Drunken Sailor sundae. First I will admit that we may have been drinking, second I admit that I wish we got two of those instead of the cone. The small is big enough for two bough, rich and amazing! Crunchy chips and chocolate covered pretzels over the best caramel ice cream or ever had. I would never think to just order Carmel ice cream but after tasting their butter caramel flavor my mind is forever changed. Holy hell, that was amazing read more

At one time this was my go to ice cream experience. No longer will I recommend it to friends or visit Parlour again. No greeting from a disinterested (almost appearing hostile) staff and an apparent recipe change to a formerly vegan chocolate ice cream that actually had chocolate flavor. Lack of chocolate made the ice cream taste only like the base ingredient of coconut milk. Wow! Whatever happened to customer service and quality control? read more

Love this place! Kid friendly! Vegan chocolate is awesome! Park in street along front. Limited spaces but keep trying...worth it

Great ice cream shop! The staff is nice and helpful. The cookies and cream ice cream is light and fluffy. The chocolate ice cream is pretty standard. We also got a chocolate malt and it was delicious. Overall, very pleased! read more